What was the dream? What IS the dream??

[josie]

The list boss said on the Danny Boyd poddy that Buss has never done a full preseason.

He’s not done yet and outside of bringing in a fully formed, better player, I’m happy to not have a fully formed plodder just getting in the way of his development.

I’ve wondered about the need to bringing too much in. Small defender was a need, and if we could jag an A-grader KPD or mid, then would’ve been happy, but… next year we get Cody Weightman back, and hopefully Treloar plays more. And we all expect genuine improvement in Freja, Darcy, Croft et al.

Im glad we kept our picks.

I think teams are finding their list build groove. Pies and Cats don’t draft. We almost exclusively do. Hawks do free agents, Saints over pay….

I reckon we’ll be ok.

Agree as long as we hold onto those young up & comers. And Butters in RWB in ‘27 please.

[Uninformed]

Budarick improves us. The only trades likely to improve another team more than ours are the ones not done yet, Merret and Curnow.

We have a ready made-key back if we think it is that is more important than 5 goals a game. Otherwise our existing talls will improve.

We haven't wasted Butters-type trade collateral chasing rainbow coloured unicorns.

I remain robustly satisfied with a useful trade period and dip my lid to our recruiters.

[1eyedog]

A dream for some. A nightmare for others!

[1eyedog]

Budarick improves us. The only trades likely to improve another team more than ours are the ones not done yet, Merret and Curnow.

We have a ready made-key back if we think it is that is more important than 5 goals a game. Otherwise our existing talls will improve.

We haven't wasted Butters-type trade collateral chasing rainbow coloured unicorns.

I remain robustly satisfied with a useful trade period and dip my lid to our recruiters.

Well at least no one good left!

[1eyedog]

I don't see it with Butts but that's OK. We're all different!

I can get the disappointment if you believe he is an option - I'm just relieved we didn't pick him up FULL STOP let alone trading a first rounder...

Yeah I don't feel Butts changes the dial.

[GVGjr]

We were never going to be big players in the trade and even the draft period this year. I've previously explained why.
That said I'm happy enough with bringing in Budarick but feel a bit slighted that we missed on adding a bit of depth with taller defenders.
I guess we will now look at DFA's and will probably keep a spot open for the SSP window

We were always starting as back markers in the race for Wilkie and Butters.

Feeling just a bit flat but it could be that I feel for Khamis.

[FrediKanoute]

Butts. Just a believer in him and his upside at his age. I think we should have given a first or future first round pick for him. Hopefully I will look like an idiot for saying that in 2026 but that is just what I think right now. I still think we should at least get Sam Frost for depth at worst to support the key back room.

This is with Butts, Adelaide wanted overs. I saw trade suggestions where Adelaide gave us Butts and a 2nd/3rd rounder for Saunders.....not a deal I would have done

[Aidan7557]

Now we are banking on Lobb, JOD and Buss to dramatically improve in 2026. How can anyone be comfortable with this. David King just went off on foxfooty at the club for not addressing our defence and he is spot on. The dream has not turned into a nightmare for me. Bont to defence is the only solution I see now...

[NAUGHTY100]

This is with Butts, Adelaide wanted overs. I saw trade suggestions where Adelaide gave us Butts and a 2nd/3rd rounder for Saunders.....not a deal I would have done

I'm really glad we didn't trade Sanders to Adelaide , his young and next year i think will show us and the football world what his made of .
If he preforms well next year then we have a young star , and if he finally thinks he wants to go back to Tazi then we get at least two 1st rounders for him from them .
Also if in fact our club was considering trading him if a top offer came along , he might even be part of the Butters deal next year who knows , but for now i'm glad his still a Bulldog .
Bit dissapionted we didn't get Butts , he would have been handy but i think we would have had to pay way overs , and im not to sure his worth a 1st rounder which apparently Adelaide wanted for him .
I think our backs are going to hold up , JOD and Buss , will get better , with a full preseason Buss will improve i have no doubt , JOD is improving each year and should improve futher next year , add Lobb to the talls and Buku as depth and its not as bad as some here may think , Budarick improves us with his pace and agressive attack at the ball , so all in all not to worried about this trade period , of course the acid test comes next year when and how we attack the Butters trade , if we get him then we set sail for a top 4 finish , if we miss out on him we may set sail but the winds will defiantly be blowing against us .

[Rocket Science]

Our mission to bolster our key back stocks went so well I'd be down with sending Zaine Cordy a text that reads "U up?" ...

[kruder]

The list boss said on the Danny Boyd poddy that Buss has never done a full preseason.

He’s not done yet and outside of bringing in a fully formed, better player, I’m happy to not have a fully formed plodder just getting in the way of his development.

I’ve wondered about the need to bringing too much in. Small defender was a need, and if we could jag an A-grader KPD or mid, then would’ve been happy, but… next year we get Cody Weightman back, and hopefully Treloar plays more. And we all expect genuine improvement in Freja, Darcy, Croft et al.

Im glad we kept our picks.

I think teams are finding their list build groove. Pies and Cats don’t draft. We almost exclusively do. Hawks do free agents, Saints over pay….

I reckon we’ll be ok.

Buss is currently in a sling.....

[Rusty12]

I don't think Butters was ever really an option.
Wilkie was plan A, didn't work out.
Budarick was a target, tick.

Aside from that, I agree with not overpaying for B and C graders; they are backing in their development, and only time will tell.

[hujsh]

I don't think Butters was ever really an option.
Wilkie was plan A, didn't work out.
Budarick was a target, tick.

Aside from that, I agree with not overpaying for B and C graders; they are backing in their development, and only time will tell.

Silvagni was plan A. Wilkie was opportunistic.

Twoomey mentioned we supposedly threw some bombs at contracted key defenders late but nothing came of it. So I guess we can at least say we tried.

[Rusty12]

Silvagni was plan A. Wilkie was opportunistic.

Twoomey mentioned we supposedly threw some bombs at contracted key defenders late but nothing came of it. So I guess we can at least say we tried.

Yep, true, Silvani is just another B grader, who plays 10-15 games per year. Not sure why we went so hard for him. If we got Wilkie, that would have been the ultimate flip. Not to be.

Looking forward to the Dogs, backing in their development.

[Sedat]

Now we are banking on Lobb, JOD and Buss to dramatically improve in 2026. How can anyone be comfortable with this. David King just went off on foxfooty at the club for not addressing our defence and he is spot on. The dream has not turned into a nightmare for me. Bont to defence is the only solution I see now...

I'm less concerned about these 3 than I am about the depth if we have a spate of injuries to any/all of them. Bless him but Gardy doesn't fill me with enormous faith.

We need another cheap option as cover - I like the idea of Frost (or even Bews as somebody who can, you know, defend) but am very open to other suggestions. It's not just about the players with these 2, for mine it is also about the elite defensive systems they have been taught under at their current clubs. That IP just cannot hurt us at all.